Recruiters Bulletin May 25

Listed Under: Recruiters Bulletin

Recruiters Bulletin - May 25 

Recruitment in the UK 

Recruitment consultancies saw a substantial increase in candidates seeking work in April, and vacancy levels seem set to continue declining.

Engineering was the only job category monitored to see an improvement in demand for permanent staff during April, and regionally, the South of England saw the steepest reduction in permanent staff appointments.

The key takeaways seem to present a mixed picture with:

  • Perm placements still declining, but showing signs of the slowest decline for some time
  • Candidate numbers are up, with a drop in overall vacancies
  • Temp wage growth is improving
  • Starting Salaries for employees are rising.

The national GDP growth rate was announced at 0.7% in Qtr1, which is positive economic news.

However, with some commentators concerned about the pending impact of the government's workers' rights initiatives, the outlook remains cautious. Read more here

UK Employment Law - Major Changes on the way.

The pending employment rights bill is going through parliament, and our friends at Shield HR have highlighted some of the expected changes here.

The recruitment outlook is unclear in the UK, and consultancies must carefully consider the sectors they focus on and monitor where demand is likely to lie.

You'll be able to read more here. 

Recruitment in the EU

The overall trend in Europe is that employment rates are slightly up ( 0.2%) in the EU compared to the same quarter of the previous year, and the GDP is up by 0.3%. The economic and business outlook has been muted with US tariff deals and the Ukraine war suppressing confidence.

Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, employment increased by 0.8% in the euro area and by 0.6% in the EU in the first quarter of 2025, after +0.8% in the euro area and +0.5% in the EU in the fourth quarter of 2024. See more here:

Germany and Austria have seen a slight decline in employment rates compared to last year's quarter, while Ireland saw a 10% increase.

Read more here: 

Advisory and Mentor Support for Recruiters 

If you are in recruitment and considering how to move forward with your business. We work with SME recruitment entrepreneurs to help expand their services and operations, whether solo start-ups, micro-recruiters, or established brands.

If you're a startup, stand-alone recruiter, SME, or established recruitment business, please contact us to learn more.

Please note that the information contained herein includes news stories and official statistical sources from commentators and organisations that are widely available. Readers should seek independent verification, and this in no way represents the views or opinions of Standley Associates.

We will continue to check the news reports and provide monthly summaries of the trends.